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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24660601">there's a man in the woods</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintsorrows/pseuds/saintsorrows'>saintsorrows</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Magnus Archives (Podcast)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, Original Statement (The Magnus Archives), Statement Fic (The Magnus Archives), man meets emo kid in the woods what happens next will shock you</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-11</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 04:28:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Not Rated</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24660601</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/saintsorrows/pseuds/saintsorrows</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>#0171010 Statement of Alex Sutherland, regarding someone he met while hiking. Original statement given 10th October, 2017.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>5</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>there's a man in the woods</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Statement of Alex Sutherland, regarding someone he met while hiking. Original statement given 10th October, 2017. Audio recorded by Jonathan Sims, Head Archivist of the Magnus Institute, London.<br/>Statement begins.</p><p>I know going off the marked trails isn’t something you’re really supposed to do, but I wanted a more interesting hike than I’d normally get. I’ve had a lot of experience with rougher and longer trails, due to visiting American state parks. I’d even gone on one trail where I had to lean backwards the whole time to avoid falling all the way to the bottom. It was well worth it though, when I got to the bottom and saw the waterfall and the river. <br/>This trip didn’t turn out as nice as that one, obviously. I had planned on walking a bit at night, to see if I could spot any owls or other night birds, so I packed a torch and some snacks and went on my merry way through the forest.</p><p>I’d only been walking off the trail for about an hour before it started to get a bit weird. It was summer time, so it was like 25 degrees but as I went further it started to get... cold. Not like when it starts to get dark out, it was still early evening according to my watch, but I could almost see my own breath. I should’ve turned and gone back to the carpark right when it started, but I really wanted to try to see the nightingales. It’s silly, but they’re one of my favourite birds and they’re kind of elusive. As it got darker, a fog had started to creep in. I’d never gone to this part of the wood, so I assumed it was normal, but it was late August at the time. Things don’t normally tend to be that misty until autumn, but I pressed on. </p><p>I spent almost another hour wandering around the woods when I heard someone crying. I didn’t know what to do at first, considering I was well off the marked path, so I shouldn’t have been able to hear anyone else. But it worried me, what if they were hurt or stuck somewhere? I couldn’t just leave this person alone like that. I followed the sound until I came upon him. It's hard to tell exactly how old he was, somewhere from late teens to early twenties, but he wasn’t dressed for hiking. He looked like he would be more at home in Camden Market, if I’m being honest, with dyed purple-black hair and a long sleeved black shirt with a gruesome knife-wielding skeleton printed on it. He was looking down when I first saw him, so I couldn’t really see his face. When I got closer I noticed that the leg of his pants was torn around the knee, and it looked a bit bloody so I assumed he’d fallen and hurt himself trying to take pictures for his edgy blog or something. I couldn’t tell if he had a camera with him or not, but with the spooky atmosphere of the forest at dusk, I assume that’s what he was out there for. When I asked if he was alright he seemed to sort of pull away almost, but didn’t look up. He said that he was fine, that he had just gotten a bit lost. I said I could help him find the way back to the trail and held out my hand to help him up. </p><p>That was probably the worst thing I did all night. When he finally looked up at me, his eyes were completely gray. He smiled sadly and took my hand before I could pull back. I think he said he was sorry, but I’m not sure. The second he took my hand I felt like I was being pulled into an icy lake. I yanked my hand free and ran, which I feel kind of bad for. He did genuinely seem like he was hurt, but something felt wrong. I ran back to where I knew the trail marker was supposed to be but as I began to slow down, I noticed none of the forest looked familiar. I should have heard birds or other animals, but it was dead silent. I stopped and looked at my phone, it was only 8:30, so I should have been able to hear the evening chorus of birds. I looked up at the sky, trying to see if there were bats flitting about, but it was empty and dark. Way darker than it should have been, and it was supposed to be a full moon that night, but I couldn’t find it. The fog around me was so thick I could barely see the ground. </p><p>I don’t know how long I wandered there. It felt like days, and it got so cold it felt like winter. I would stop occasionally, to try to see what time it was or even what day it was, but my phone wouldn’t work. I tried to call 999, but I could never get past the connecting tone. None of the texts I sent went through, I couldn’t even connect to the internet, even though the area I was hiking has decent cell service. The stars weren’t in any constellations I recognized, and the north star was nonexistent. Sure, my surroundings changed as I walked, but there were no landmarks. There were trails but they seemed to just go on forever. I don’t know how I ever got out, but I did.</p><p>When I came back from the forest, it was daytime. Midday, infact. I walked to my car and drove home. The calendar on my phone said it was the next day, but I knew for a fact I had been in those woods for longer than 12 hours. When I got back to my flat I posted something about meeting that weird boy in the woods on my Facebook, and my boyfriend James commented on it asking who I was and why I was added as his friend. I sent him a private message telling him if that was his idea as a joke it wasn’t funny considering what I had just gone through. He messaged back saying he had no clue who I was, and to delete our relationship status and anything about him on my page because it was creepy that ‘some freak’ decided to make some fake relationship with him. He told me if I didn’t he would call the police, so... I did. It hurt. We’d been dating for two years, but he couldn’t seem to remember it. I tried to call my mom, but she didn’t recognize my voice and told me to stop ‘pranking’ her. None of my friends remember me either. It’s been a month, but every time I try to make new friends it’s like I stop existing to people once I leave the room. I’ve tried social media friends as well, but they don’t remember me either.</p><p>I show up in photos and writing, but I just slide through people's memories like sand in a sieve. I still exist, but I can’t be remembered. I don’t even know if you’ll remember me once I’m done giving this account. I just want this to end, I want my friends and family back.</p><p>Statement ends.</p><p>According to Martin, there is a man called Alex Sutherland who used to frequent online bird watching groups, but it seems he has ceased to post on social media in any form not too long after this statement was given. He had been a respected member of his bird watching club until it seems many of the members had, well, forgotten him. It’s nigh impossible to contact him, as he no longer has an online presence and can’t be found in any phonebook. It’s hard to tell whether that is due to his inability to be remembered or simply requesting to be left off is unclear.<br/>The boy he mentions is also odd, but without a name or any real distinguishing features other than being an ‘alternative’ hiker, there isn’t much I can do to find out anything about him. I do wonder just what he was doing out there, though.</p><p>End recording.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>the statement giver still legally exists, but cannot be remembered by anyone he meets or has formed a relationship with. i had a nightmare about that once so i thought it would be fun.<br/>you have no idea how long i was looking for a specific national park to reference but the uk's national parks are like. a city park to me. wym there arent 27 different hiking trails or the fear that if you step off the path nobody will ever find you. what the fuck. so its a vague forest.<br/>i also learned the uk doesnt have hot topic so i had to frantically search for an alt fashion area to bully my avatar with</p><p>give me ur feedback.... tell me if u enjoy my terribly depressed son...........<br/>+ currently writing a transcript style follow up where jon bullies the emo lonely avatar bc i need to do SOMETHING or ill lose my mind.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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